Luthando Dziba
"Luthando Dziba joined South African National Parks (SANParks) in July 2017 as the Managing Executive for Conservation Services which oversees Scientific Services, Veterinary Services, Conservation Planning and Cultural Heritage. Before joining SANParks, Luthando managed the Ecosystem Services research area at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), leading a team of more than 50 researchers undertaking cutting edge research on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Coastal Systems and Earth Observation. Luthando’s research interests include interventions to improve conservation of large mammalian herbivores in protected areas; influence of plant secondary compounds on biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics; impacts of climate change, land use change, woody plant encroachment and invasive alien plants on biodiversity and ecosystem services. He also has a particular interest in science for development planning and policy. Luthando has completed an Executive Development Programme at Wits University Business School and has extensive management experience in some of South Africa’s largest institutions like the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), the CSIR and SANParks. Luthando has served as the co-chair of the Africa Regional Ecosystem Assessment which was commissioned by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and published in 2018. He has been advisor to South Africa’s delegations to IPBES plenaries, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). He presented the Africa Assessment report to African Ministers of Environment at the CBD COP in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt in December 2018. Luthando serves as the Co-chair of the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which is entrusted with providing advice to IPBES on scientific and technical aspects of IPBES’ programme of work. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Wits University’s Global Change Institute, is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the Board of Trustees of the National Parks Trust. In the past he has served on the Research, Development and Innovation Committee of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) Board and on the Advisory Board Nelson Mandela University’s Africa Center for Ecology." [1]
